Ask Leo!

Google Mail - Free Email that works and leaves you in control

2008-11-21T10:06:25-08:00

The fact that I'm recommending a free email service at all will come as a shock to most of my long time readers. I've long ranted against using free email services being used as the sole repository for your important information. Most people read that as being "against free email", but it's really "against putting all your eggs in someone else's basket and only in someone else's basket".

Free email accounts have a place in your overall email strategy.

And one of the reasons I recommend GMail, Google's free email service is that it allows you to take control of your email in ways that the other services will not. In fact, I can see situations where GMail might be your primary email account.

Just never your only email account.

Continue reading Google Mail - Free Email that works and leaves you in control
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

How do I print my email with the latest Windows Live Hotmail?

2008-11-20T16:32:18-08:00

Since Hotmail's recent change of format, we are unable to print emails from our inboxs. The right hand side of the page is cut off and only the first page prints.

I had a suspicion I knew what Hotmail had done, and sure enough; I went to check an said to myself "they didn't!"

They did.

The answer is not to use the print button, but to use the print button instead.

Now in case that's not clear , let me explain.

Continue reading How do I print my email with the latest Windows Live Hotmail?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Leo's Answers #153 - November 18, 2008

2008-11-18T08:00:00-08:00

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Thanks sooooo much Leo! You're a life saver!
-Amy

Hello!

(You subscribed to this newsletter from this email address: {!email}, which you then separately confirmed. If you don't want this weekly newsletter any more, please follow the instructions to unsubscribe at the end of this and every issue.)

If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html

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*** Contents

This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!
A Word from our Sponsor
Featured Comments
This Week's Most Popular Articles

Leo Recommends
Popular Articles from the Archives
Thoughts and Comments
Newsletter Administration

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

Why am I getting "Windows cannot find" messages on startup?

When starting my Windows XP machine I started getting the following message:

Windows cannot find "SSVICHOSST.exe" Make sure you typed the name correctly,and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button and then click search.

How do I remove this message when starting up?

The message is both clear, and confusing.

Clear, because Windows is clearly trying to run a program on start up, and "Windows cannot find" means ... well, it means that it can't find the program.

Confusing, because you never told it to run that program, nor do you have any idea how it got there.

I do.

Continue reading: "Why am I getting "Windows cannot find" messages on startup?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_am_i_getting_windows_cannot_find_messages_on_startup.html

* * *

Why is my internet connection slowing down?

Lately, I have been experiencing extreme slow down browsing the Internet. I have WinXP Home SP2 and IE7 (both up-to-date). It seems that early in the day (AM) I can browse without any problem. The PING (latency) is around +-200MS. However, later in the day, the latency increases between 1500-2500MS. This leads me to believe that there is something not right on the "network". I use cable for my Internet access. Approximately 2-3 weeks ago, the cable company relocated their equipment to a new "head-end". They also upgraded their equipment, servers, etc., to provide (supposedly) better service. Ever since this began until now my browsing experience has been mediocre at best especially later in the day and even worse in the evening hours. I have a basic idea of what latency is. But, I am wondering if the problem is my computer or not. Sometimes the slow down is so bad everything I try to (browse) "times out"; cannot be viewed. I looked at your "database" regarding latency but just didn't help me. Can you give me some help regarding this? I would be able to tell the cable peeps that it's their problem (maybe). Thanks.

I blame the cable company.

But good luck trying to convince them of that.

I also blame your neighbors, but they probably don't know any better.

Continue reading: "Why is my internet connection slowing down?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_is_my_internet_connection_slowing_down.html

* * *

What's the difference between Closing and Killing a program?

What's the difference between Closing and Killing a program?

There is a difference, and it's an important one.

I liken it to the difference between asking someone to leave, and physically kicking them out of the door.

Continue reading: "What's the difference between Closing and Killing a program?"
http://ask-leo.com/whats_the_difference_between_closing_and_killing_a_program.html

* * *

What is the .NET Framework, and do I need all these versions?

Do i need Microsoft .net framework 1.1 and 2.0 service pack 1 and 3.0 service pack 1 on my desk top computer? I don't develop new software.

The fact that you don't develop software actually has nothing to do with anything here.

.NET is most likely used by other software you have installed on your machine.

.NET versioning, unfortunately, is apparently a mess.

Continue reading: "What is the .NET Framework, and do I need all these versions?"
http://ask-leo.com/what_is_the_net_framework_and_do_i_need_all_these_versions.html

* * *

How can I get the old Windows Live Hotmail back?

They changed Windows Live Hotmail and I don't like what they did. How can I revert back to the old version?

Windows Live Hotmail made some changes to their user interface last week, and since many people find my site in reference to Hotmail issues, I've been hearing a lot about it.

More specifically, I've been hearing a lot of complaints.

So, I'm going to go off on a bit of a rant here. And it's not aimed at Hotmail.

Continue reading: "How can I get the old Windows Live Hotmail back?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_can_i_get_the_old_windows_live_hotmail_back.html

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Advertisement. Ask Leo about advertising here.

*** Featured Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

How can I get the old Windows Live Hotmail back?

Karen writes:

I have no problem with change except for the fact that four days ago I went to check my email and it was gone.. I have attempted to log in to it and I continue to get the message that it no longer exists and so I created a new account with live just to have a place to get some kind of response. My problem is that I have nobody to go to try and get my account back. Any suggestions.

This is exactly why I so often and so strongly recommend that people seriously reconsider using free email accounts for anything important. I have no other recourse for you.
-Leo

MSN Hotmail: how long will Hotmail keep my account open?

Jules writes:

I logged on my Hotmail yesterday and it was a totally new version and it lost a lot of my attached pictures...I'm a dog rescuer and I need the pics of these dogs I'm trying to save.

I have no answer on recovering anything lost in your Hotmail account. It happens with unfortunately regularity for various reasons. It's one of the reasons I so strongly recommend that you never use a free email account as the sole repository for anything important. Back it up, somehow, and/or use a commercial email account with support.
-Leo

*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

*** Leo Recommends

This Is True
Weekly Weird News, Humor and Insightful Commentary

This is True is a weekly syndicated newspaper column by Colorado humorist Randy Cassingham. Each week Randy reports on several bizarre, but absolutely true news stories from around the world, ending each with his own unique humorous comment. The stories are often odd, frequently head shaking, and occasionally very thought provoking.

But they're always funny.

Continue reading: This Is True - Weekly Weird News, Humor and Insightful Commentary
http://ask-leo.com/this_is_true_weekly_weird_news_humor_and_insightful_commentary.html

•

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

It's very common to be looking around on your hard disk only to discover a folder that you never put there, and don't really understand the purpose of. Here's just one example.

What's "Msocache"?

I have a hidden file called MSO Cache on my E drive. Windows XP is installed on the C drive. Msocache is about 200 megabytes but it looks kind of important. I'm sure I didn't make it nor anybody else. Is it a system file or spyware? What does it do and can I delete it safely?

Msocache is another of those "magical" directories (not a file) that somehow just appears one day. Since we're not looking for this kind of thing constantly it's easy to miss exactly when it showed up.

Here's one clue, though - MSO stands for MicroSoft Office.

Yep. Microsoft Office is trying to be helpful.

Continue reading...
What's "Msocache"?
http://ask-leo.com/whats_msocache.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

As I was putting this issue together I noted that an anniversary almost slipped by...

This newsletter is three years old, today.

Whoo hoo!

Since all issues are archived on the site, here it is: Leo's Answers #1 - November 18, 2005.

You can see that even then I was reminding people to ask themselves Are free email services worth it?

I'm proud of my three years of newsletters (and over five years of Ask Leo! on the web), but I'm still a newbie compared to This is True. Randy Cassingham's been publishing True since 1996, making it one of the oldest email newsletters still being published today. The secret to its longevity is very simple: it's just that good. I subscribed to the premium edition of True long ago (back when my email address was @microsoft.com), and in the years that followed Randy's become a good friend and mentor. I encourage you to check out This is True.

'till next time...

Leo A. Notenboom

* * *

A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at http://articlesbyleo.com.

You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.

Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?

Some of Leo's other sites: The Ask Leo! Store, Leo's Online Business Card, Forwarded Funnies, Taming Email, MovableType Tips, Leo's Blog, Buy Leo a Latte (or a Beer), A Letter To Myself, Dolls and Friends, Corgwn.com

*** Newsletter Administration

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your questions.

I'll be honest: I'll try to respond, but I get a lot of questions every day - I just can't answer everyone. Rest assured, though, that even if you don't hear from me directly, every email gets read.

Leo's Answers Newsletter is a weekly publication of Ask Leo! and Leo A. Notenboom. It's also available as an RSS feed at this URL: http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.xml. Archives of previous newsletter issues can be found on the Ask Leo! web site, http://ask-leo.com/newsletter.html.

Forward Me! You're quite welcome to forward this email in its entirety; it's a great way to help Ask Leo! grow. But you should probably delete your unsubscribe link below, so your friends don't unsubscribe you by accident.

You may forward individual articles from this newsletter only if you include all and only the text of that article as found in this newsletter, including any links therein. You may not copy full articles from the Ask Leo! website - more on that in my section on copyright: http://ask-leo.com/terms.html#copyright.

I'd sure appreciate it if regular readers got a subscription of their own. You can sign up at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com.

Interested in advertising on Ask Leo! or in this newsletter? Advertising details here.

Continue reading Leo's Answers #153 - November 18, 2008
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Why am I getting "Windows cannot find" messages on startup?

2008-11-16T12:52:22-08:00

When starting my Windows XP machine I started getting the following message:

Windows cannot find "SSVICHOSST.exe" Make sure you typed the name correctly,and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button and then click search.

How do I remove this message when starting up?

The message is both clear, and confusing.

Clear, because Windows is clearly trying to run a program on start up, and "Windows cannot find" means ... well, it means that it can't find the program.

Confusing, because you never told it to run that program, nor do you have any idea how it got there.

I do.

Continue reading Why am I getting "Windows cannot find" messages on startup?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Why is my internet connection slowing down?

2008-11-15T11:09:00-08:00

I blame the cable company.

But good luck trying to convince them of that.

I also blame your neighbors, but they probably don't know any better.

Continue reading Why is my internet connection slowing down?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

What's the difference between Closing and Killing a program?

2008-11-14T10:45:11-08:00

What's the difference between Closing and Killing a program?

There is a difference, and it's an important one.

I liken it to the difference between asking someone to leave, and physically kicking them out of the door.

Continue reading What's the difference between Closing and Killing a program?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

What is the .NET Framework, and do I need all these versions?

2008-11-13T09:45:16-08:00

Do i need Microsoft .net framework 1.1 and 2.0 service pack 1 and 3.0 service pack 1 on my desk top computer? I don't develop new software.

The fact that you don't develop software actually has nothing to do with anything here.

.NET is most likely used by other software you have installed on your machine.

.NET versioning, unfortunately, is apparently a mess.

Continue reading What is the .NET Framework, and do I need all these versions?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

How can I get the old Windows Live Hotmail back?

2008-11-12T14:27:59-08:00

They changed Windows Live Hotmail and I don't like what they did. How can I revert back to the old version?

Windows Live Hotmail made some changes to their user interface last week, and since many people find my site in reference to Hotmail issues, I've been hearing a lot about it.

More specifically, I've been hearing a lot of complaints.

So, I'm going to go off on a bit of a rant here. And it's not aimed at Hotmail.

Continue reading How can I get the old Windows Live Hotmail back?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Leo's Answers #152 - November 11, 2008

2008-11-11T08:00:00-08:00

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

thanks thanks thanks again
-Alex

Hello!

If you're having problems with the formatting of this newsletter in email it's always available on the web here: http://ask-leo.com/currentnewsletter.html

Share Me!

Do you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter? Forward it to them! (See below for details.)

Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe to get Leo's Answers in your own inbox every week.

*** Contents

This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!
A Word from our Sponsor
Featured Comments
This Week's Most Popular Articles

Leo Recommends
Popular Articles from the Archives
Thoughts and Comments
Newsletter Administration

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

Does sharing a router make me vulnerable to those I share with?

Is it possible for a person to access my previous correspondence via email and MSN via our router? The 4 of us share one router. I delete my email correspondence but I am a little afraid that my old correspondence can or may be accessed by some means via the router. Some of the correspondence is of a personal and business nature and I would not like the info to fall into the hands of a person not screened to view it. If it is possible to draw old correspondence via the shared router, how do I go about preventing such an eventuality?

There are several possible scenarios that your question might be asking about. I'll try and cover the most common.

But the short answer is that, yes, you do need to understand whether the people that share your router can be trusted. If not, you need to take steps.

Continue reading: "Does sharing a router make me vulnerable to those I share with?"
http://ask-leo.com/does_sharing_a_router_make_me_vulnerable_to_those_i_share_with.html

* * *

Where did the Windows Live Hotmail Reply and Forward buttons go?

My Windows Live Hotmail changed a few days ago to a new version; a slightly new look according to them. I can't see how to forward messages and I can't reply them. I do not see any button to perform this task.

Reply and Forward are pretty fundamental, so they certainly didn't disappear.

As the message from Hotmail said, they're just slightly different.

And perhaps in a different place.

Continue reading: "Where did the Windows Live Hotmail Reply and Forward buttons go?"
http://ask-leo.com/where_did_the_windows_live_hotmail_reply_and_forward_buttons_go.html

* * *

Are there any issues listening to streaming music over the internet?

I have DSL and a pretty old system, running WinXp and I'd like to run continuous radio music on my computer. I'm very confused as to the best way to do that. I read that some programs take too much memory. Others too much bandwidth. I also don't know if I'm supposed to have an RSS feed or what. I simply want to hear some continuous Oldie's music through my computer (that is always left on), without stressing out my old shaky system too much. I already seem to have a lot of problems with its lackluster speed and freezing up on me.

I have listened to some with the Windows Media Player and somehow itunes (didn't even realize I had that installed) but am afraid to continue doing so until I get your recommendation.

I'll put it this way:

As I write this, I'm listening to streaming music over the internet. In fact, it's been running continuously for days.

Let's look at the requirements, issues and ramifications of doing so.

Continue reading: "Are there any issues listening to streaming music over the internet?"
http://ask-leo.com/are_there_any_issues_listening_to_streaming_music_over_the_internet.html

* * *

How to find the IP address of my computer?

How to find the IP address of my computer? Is there any command?

Sure there are commands.

But I have to ask you a question first:

Which IP address do you want?

Continue reading: "How to find the IP address of my computer?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_to_find_the_ip_address_of_my_computer.html

* * *

What's a port scan, and should I be worried about them?

Should a computer user be worried about every port scan? My firewall for example, has been blocking what it calls 'attacks' from three different ip addresses that all belong to an ISP called Chinanet. My firewall blocks UDP packets sent from Chinanet through my netbios port and other ports like port 8000. I also notice that when I turn on my computer that my computer tries to send UDP packets to the same IPs from Chinanet, through the netbios -ns port. Is that weird? I always run virus scans regularly and my computer has nothing. My computer seems to be fine and has not been acting strangely lately. I don't know whether or not it's a port scan. Are things like port scans normal? Is every port scan always someone intentionally trying to access your computer? With all the things hackers can be capable of, what are the chances of a casual user being targeted? People say that if something like hacking occurs, to contact your ISP, but is there really anything to be done? Hacking might not be as common as a computer being infected with a virus, but how common is it?

Port scans happen all the time. And I do mean all the time. Steve Gibson of grc.com coined the term "internet background radiation" for all the random traffic that's continually happening on the internet due to unpatched and infected machines, and machines that are continually scanning the internet for other machines to infect.

And that's exactly why everyone needs a firewall.

However, there is one aspect of what you describe that is troubling.

Continue reading: "What's a port scan, and should I be worried about them?"
http://ask-leo.com/whats_a_port_scan_and_should_i_be_worried_about_them.html

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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*** Featured Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

Can a virus destroy my computer or hard drive?

Grover writes:

I've used UBCD4Win to clean up malware. I've also been the computer repair guy and had to explain these same choices to a customer: I can clean your system, but it will take me at least 6 hours at $30/hr, or can reinstall at the same rate for 2 hours. Most choose option 2, but, fortunately for the bank balance some choose option 1...

I would guess that those who choose the more expensive option have data that hasn't been backed up that they can't afford to lose.
-Leo

Can a virus destroy my computer or hard drive?

Kenneth Crook writes:

Backup, Backup, Backup!!!

Once a month, after Microsoft updates on Tuesday, I use Acronis TrueImage to make a full image backup of my disk drive to an external disk drive. Weekly I make a backup to an external disk drive of my "MY Documents" folder. And during the week if I make any updates to documents I copy them to a USB pen drive. I keep several months of Acronis TrueImage backups so if necessary I can go back farther than the past backup if somehow some virus slipped through my anti-virus scans.

Reformatting and reinstalling everything is like torture, and to be avoided at all costs. Acronis TrueImage is simple, easy, fast, and has saved me a couple of times.

PS: The virus I got seem to have come from geek sites I went to researching some problem.

Should I get the 64 bit version of Windows?

Judith writes:

My only choice on the Vista Ultimate computer I wanted was 64-bit. I admit I am being overly careful about what I connect to it or download on it. My HP 2710 All-In-One printer took a special download from HP and, thankfully, it is working very well. I researched the 64-bit issue before purchase and decided to go with it (after crossing my fingers); however, I knew before hand that I still have my XP desktop and a laptop to fall back on if I run into trouble. Had I not had the backup I have, I would have probably chosen another computer that offered the 32-bit Ultimate.

Can a virus be transmitted in a picture?

Grace writes:

The article was helpful but not so explanatory. How do I know a 'picture that is not a picture?'. And, if I were the guy who asked the question, how do I get rid of the virus? Do I have to reformat my system?

Good question. If the file is already on your machine you could, of course, run a virus scan to hopefully get rid of it. The problem is that these are most often used on malicious websites where you don't have a chance to "look before you leap". The best advice is simply to keep your machine up-to-date with Windows patches, since it's unpatched machines that these things take advantage of, and stay away from questionable web sites. This article may help on what to do when you're infected, regardless of the cause: My computer's infected with a virus, how do I clean it up?
-Leo

*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

*** Leo Recommends

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If you're a spammer, you can stop reading now. AWeber will not help you.

On the other hand, if you're considering setting up a CAN-SPAM compliant email mailing list, AWeber may be the solution for you.

AWeber is an Email Service Provider (ESP) that provides bulk and sequence emailing services. The most common example might be periodic newsletters: for example I use AWeber to send out my newsletter every week to over ~~25,000~~ 45,000 subscribers.

Not to sound too "marketing-ish", but AWeber leads the industry in an incredibly important measurement: deliverability.

Continue reading: AWeber Email Service Provider for email newsletters and more
http://ask-leo.com/aweber_email_service_provider_for_email_newsletters_and_more.html

•

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

Ever install or upgrade your video card or monitor, only to find you're back at 640x480, or 800x600 on a device that should get you much more?

Why is 640x480 my only resolution option?

I got a new Dell PC with 19 inch screen. I cannot change the resolution to be greater than 640 by 480. What can I do to change it? In this mode the Start menu itself goes off the top of the screen.

640 by 480. There was a day when we were excited to have it - and with all of 16 colors. Now, 640x480 is so "small" as to be unusable in most cases. Even the most basic new computer supports at least 800x600, if not 1024x768 or much higher.

But what if it appears that 640x480 is your only option?

Continue reading...
Why is 640x480 my only resolution option?
http://ask-leo.com/why_is_640x480_my_only_resolution_option.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

Last week Microsoft rolled out another update to the Windows Live Hotmail interface, and as happens, I got flooded with questions and concerns from people who don't like it, are having problems with it, and who would like to go back to the old interface.

I found this blog posting from the Windows Live team: Update on the new Hotmail which answers many of the questions that people are having.

The bottom line is that it's changing and there's nothing you as a user can do about it.

As of this morning, that blog post has over 1400 comments on it - mostly negative.

When I see the flood of questions I get about it all, I continue to wonder myself: if people are so upset about Hotmail's changes, why do they continue to use it? There are so many alternatives that if you honestly don't like it, you can change to something else.

But I just shake my head and answer the questions that I can.

And continue to remind people how I feel about putting all their eggs into a free email basket.

But I do have to say this: handling and even embracing change is one of the most important things you can do to be successful and comfortable using technology. Whatever you're using today will change, sometime, somehow. Hopefully for the better, but not always in ways that you'll appreciate. It's inevitable.

'till next time...

Leo A. Notenboom

* * *

A selection of Leo's articles are available for free re-use at http://articlesbyleo.com.

You can also subscribe to Ask Leo! on your Kindle.

Perhaps you'd like some Ask Leo! Stickers?

*** Newsletter Administration

Do you have a question? A comment, perhaps? Visit http://ask-leo.com/ask to submit your questions.

I'd sure appreciate it if regular readers got a subscription of their own. You can sign up at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com.

Interested in advertising on Ask Leo! or in this newsletter? Advertising details here.

Continue reading Leo's Answers #152 - November 11, 2008
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Does sharing a router make me vulnerable to those I share with?

2008-11-09T08:47:05-08:00

There are several possible scenarios that your question might be asking about. I'll try and cover the most common.

But the short answer is that, yes, you do need to understand whether the people that share your router can be trusted. If not, you need to take steps.

Continue reading Does sharing a router make me vulnerable to those I share with?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Where did the Windows Live Hotmail Reply and Forward buttons go?

2008-11-08T11:04:28-08:00

Reply and Forward are pretty fundamental, so they certainly didn't disappear.

As the message from Hotmail said, they're just slightly different.

And perhaps in a different place.

Continue reading Where did the Windows Live Hotmail Reply and Forward buttons go?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

Are there any issues listening to streaming music over the internet?

2008-11-07T17:35:18-08:00

I have listened to some with the Windows Media Player and somehow itunes (didn't even realize I had that installed) but am afraid to continue doing so until I get your recommendation.

I'll put it this way:

As I write this, I'm listening to streaming music over the internet. In fact, it's been running continuously for days.

Let's look at the requirements, issues and ramifications of doing so.

Continue reading Are there any issues listening to streaming music over the internet?
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
Leo's Answers Newsletter - Ask Leo! in your inbox every week.

How to find the IP address of my computer?

2008-11-06T15:13:25-08:00

How to find the IP address of my computer? Is there any command?

Sure there are commands.

But I have to ask you a question first:

Which IP address do you want?

Continue reading How to find the IP address of my computer?
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What's a port scan, and should I be worried about them?

2008-11-05T10:48:47-08:00

And that's exactly why everyone needs a firewall.

However, there is one aspect of what you describe that is troubling.

Continue reading What's a port scan, and should I be worried about them?
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Leo's Answers #151 - November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T08:00:00-08:00

Leo's Answers
A Weekly Newsletter From
Ask Leo!
Leo Notenboom

Found my answer in one click to this page, Awesome!
-Barb

Hello!

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*** Contents

This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!
A Word from our Sponsor
Featured Comments
This Week's Most Popular Articles

Leo Recommends
Popular Articles from the Archives
Thoughts and Comments
Newsletter Administration

*** This Week's New Articles on Ask Leo!

Can a virus be transmitted in a picture?

My old computer was severely infected with viruses. So badly that the viruses cut off task manager, changed my background to a screen warning me about spyware and also tries to restart my computer every five minutes. My anti virus pops up with a new virus its found every few minutes as well. I'm not really interested in fixing the old computer. I'm purchasing a new one in a week or so. My question is can these viruses I have be transferred through pictures I have put on a cd-rom? These are priceless pictures. My mother who uses the same computer as me would be devastated if I couldn't put these on the new computer.

Short answer: probably not. In fact it's highly unlikely that viruses actually travel in pictures.

However, there are a few things to be aware of, and a few steps that will increase the security of your result.

Continue reading: "Can a virus be transmitted in a picture?"
http://ask-leo.com/can_a_virus_be_transmitted_in_a_picture.html

* * *

Can a virus destroy my computer or hard drive?

My wife opened a file that appeared to come from UPS and that was the end of my computer. It tried to install files called Antivirus XP, then it tried to install an XP Security Center and wanted me to register to rid my computer of the virus and give them my credit card#. My McAfee is disabled on every boot and Spybot won't run. It also wants to change a registry value and run buritos.exe. It has also changed my wallpaper with "Warning!" message that can not be changed. A diagnostic through one of the geek services says my hard drive is damaged. Is there any way to get rid of this virus without having to pay a fortune in a new hard drive plus all the other geek service charges? Or should I just get a new computer?

Your hard disk is not physically damaged. I'm hoping that the technical service company didn't really mean that. (If they did ... well, I'd use a different service next time.)

But you do have some work ahead of you nonetheless.

Continue reading: "Can a virus destroy my computer or hard drive?"
http://ask-leo.com/can_a_virus_destroy_my_computer_or_hard_drive.html

* * *

How do I set up a system with more than one screen?

I have a second CRT monitor which I want to use with my system. How do I hook it up and what advantages can I derive from this hook-up? My present OS is Windows-XP.

Windows XP actually does a very good job of handling multiple monitors and display devices. In fact, I'm writing this on a dual monitor system right now.

There are a couple of approaches to connecting more than one screen to your display.

And you don't even have to stop at two. Add three, four, or more screens if you like.

Continue reading: "How do I set up a system with more than one screen?"
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_set_up_a_system_with_more_than_one_screen.html

* * *

Should I get the 64 bit version of Windows?

I recently bought a new computer with Windows Vista 64. What are the advantages/disadvantages of 64 bit over 32? I can't get my HP Deskjet 712c printer to work on a 64 system, is there a way?

I suspect I'm going to get some disagreement on this one, but so far I've voted with my virtual feet: all my machines are running 32 bit operating systems, even though several of them could run 64 bit.

So you can guess what I'm going to recommend for the average user.

And, in fact, your very question highlights one of the reasons why.

Continue reading: "Should I get the 64 bit version of Windows?"
http://ask-leo.com/should_i_get_the_64_bit_version_of_windows.html

* * *

Why does my email program ask for a username or password when I try to download mail?

Why does Microsoft Outlook ask for a username and password when I press send and receive?

There are two levels to this question, and I'm going to address them both.

One: in addition to an email program you need an email account in order to send and receive email.

Two: your email program needs to know about that account.

Two-and-a-half: OK, sometimes your email program can get confused.

Continue reading: "Why does my email program ask for a username or password when I try to download mail?"
http://ask-leo.com/why_does_my_email_program_ask_for_a_username_or_password_when_i_try_to_download_mail.html

* * *

Should I password protect my BIOS?

Does a boot up BIOS password add any real security to my computer? I know that if a system isn't physically secure, it isn't ultimately secure at all. But since it's so easy to overcome the Windows password using a boot disk, I'm wondering if the addition of a boot up BIOS password, which must be entered before the CD drives boot, adds any real security.

In my opinion, it does. It's an additional barrier to entry.

However, we need to make sure we understand just what the limitations, and risks, of using a BIOS password really are.

Continue reading: "Should I password protect my BIOS?"
http://ask-leo.com/should_i_password_protect_my_bios.html

*** A Word from our Sponsor

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"It's what I use." - Leo Notenboom

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*** Featured Comments

A sampling of some of the comments that have been posted recently on Ask Leo!

* * *

What does "Pri Master HDD Error" mean on boot?

Adrian Martin writes:

I have an elderly Windows 98 SE machine which displays the message "Primary Hard Disk Fail" every ten or so times I boot it up. I just switch off, remove the power cable from the back of the machine and then insert it again a couple of times to discharge static. The machine then boots up normally!

I hope you're backing up. Someday what you're doing won't work, and it's possible that all the data on that drive will be gone.
-Leo

*** This Week's Most Popular

The ten most popular articles in the last 7 days on Ask Leo!

*** Leo Recommends

Fujitsu ScanSnap
A Fast, Sheet-fed Document Scanner

This might appeal to only a small portion of my audience, but I've fallen in love with this device, and wanted to share it with those who'd find it as useful as I do.

I'm all about computers; I think you get that. But that also means that I'm all about using them - particularly when it comes to documents and document management. I find digital documents easier to store, backup and search than their paper counterparts. In general, I'd much prefer someone send me an email or give me an electronic copy of whatever document they're wanting to share - no need to waste paper for me.

On the other hand, between home ownership, running a couple of businesses and more, people are sending me paper every day. Paper that, in all honesty, I should keep - at least for a while. And yet, I'd really rather not.

You might guess that my ideal would be to scan all those documents into digital form, and then discard or shred the physical paper in favor of storing and backing up the documents on my computer. The problem is that traditional flatbed scanners are slow and cumbersome for any volume of scanning. And slow. Did I mention slow? And cumbersome?

The Fujitsu ScanSnap solves those issues.

Continue reading: "Fujitsu ScanSnap - A Fast, Sheet-fed Document Scanner"
http://ask-leo.com/fujitsu_scansnap_a_fast_sheetfed_document_scanner.html

•

Each week I recommend a specific product or resource that I've found valuable and that I think you may as well. What does my recommendation mean?

*** Popular Articles from the Archives

This is another one of those questions that I get on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the answer's not what most people want to hear...

How do I remove myself from the search engines?

It was unwise of me to take part and put in my name in some guestbooks. I'd like to remove my information from the search results of the major search engines: Google, Yahoo and so forth. I tried in vain to contact the webmasters of those sites. I'm becoming fussier about that and it's getting more awkward as far as my profession is concerned. Would you please assist me in dealing with this problem?

Search engines are amazing. They've collected and indexed billions of pages of information out on the internet. And while we think of Google, Yahoo, MSN and other "name brand" search engines, the reality is that there are hundred of search engines that could all be indexing pages on the web.

Getting into the search engines is not terribly difficult. Getting out? The news is not good.

Continue reading...
How do I remove myself from the search engines?
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_remove_myself_from_the_search_engines.html

*** Thoughts and Comments

Last week I mentioned my wife's business, which we're closing, was selected for an audit. Lots of prep work on my part, since I'm also the bookkeeper. While it's not over, it's a "so far so good" situation.

I decided to formally recommend my ScanSnap this week, partly because of the workout it's been getting as part of the audit. I'm retrieving lots of paper documents, as you might imagine. My technique has been to quickly scan them and then make those PDFs available to the auditor. It turned out to be a pretty smooth operation. I also took my "too be filed" pile of paper that's been accumulating over the past six months (ok, I'm a little behind in my filing) and turned it into a "to be shredded" pile by scanning almost all of it.

So the bottom line is that I've been having fun with it. (And yes, if having fun with a scanner doesn't make me an uber-geek, I'm not sure what does. )

'till next time...

Leo A. Notenboom

* * *

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*** Newsletter Administration

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Continue reading Leo's Answers #151 - November 4, 2008
Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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